Support Teachers' (trainers) Professional Development, Part 4

Support Teachers' Professional Development
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Support Teachers' Professional Development
Introduction
Efficient research in schools continue to be conducted where it has connected collaborative actions and collegiality amongst teachers, bringing great gain in the student learning. Programs such as mentoring and peer coaching are becoming widely used as education researchers’ advocate for it. This is because of various benefits in the program (Light, Calkins & Cox, 2009). These processes are normally considered as more formal and extensive approach. One of the benefits of mentoring is the fact that it uses experienced teachers of master levels, who assist and support the novice teachers as well as experienced teachers who are new in the district. In addition, there is registration of numerous benefits in this practice as it reduces the feeling of isolation since the teachers will have ample time of interacting. Through peer coaching, the teachers are capable of implementing new strategies of teaching very effectively that they wouldn’t have known through other means. This is because they are taught by more experienced teachers who don’t hold back any information. The positive school climate is also a benefit that teachers enjoy through exchange of ideas and they get to familiarize themselves as a stronger bond is formed in the process. Moreover, the faculty is revitalized through the new ideas and strategies of learning, making the teaching experience fun and uncomplicated.
However, one of the limitations of peer coaching and mentoring is that some education centers fail to collaborate with the management and organization of coaching and mentoring. This deprives the management the sufficient time required to train the teachers. This means that only a number of education centers provide this system while others remain in the initial level.
Peer coaching and mentoring
Peer coaching and mentoring are professional enhancement processes that require teachers the agreement of the teachers to participate. It strives to offer learning opportunities that permits teachers in further developing and sharing their professional abilities, as well as knowledge and understanding. Moreover, peer coaching and mentoring is focused on teachers’ observations in the classroom, although it can also involve other aspects. In order for the program to be effective, teachers being observed are required to trust observers, being comfortable about them while in class. The practice in class should be about offering further shared insights regarding what usually takes place in the classroom. Therefore, observer teachers should not make additional work as the aim is even to reduce workload. Peer coaching and mentoring also advocates for a reciprocal and mutual approach in which the two teachers gain the opportunity of observing and being observed as well as giving and receiving feedback. In whichever the relative or position status of the participants, mentoring and peer coaching ought to be a process that excludes hierarchical characteristics. This is because both partners focus on providing and receiving professional support.
Issues and challenges of confronting marginal teaching
The principals of various schools are faced with daily challenges when dealing with marginal teachers. Thus, they are forced to apply a style of directive control so that teachers may improve without dropping out of career or specific school. Moreover, efforts to deal with marginal teaching are usually dragged behind by a number of issues. For instance, some districts in certain states lack career paths that are clearly delineated in order to become mentor, hybrid, master, or specialized teachers connected to professional development as well as objective standards that foster aspirations of teachers. In addition, some teachers lack pay differentials that recognizes levels of achievements in order for a master teacher be able to earn almost similar amount as that of administrator. This issue could be linked to the fact that they lack motivation to improve or learn because of lack of room of professional elevation or better salary. Moreover, hard headed marginal teachers may simply refuse to adhere to the introduced programs of collaboration such as coaching and mentoring because of their negative attitude. One of the best ways of addressing the issue of marginal teaching is by offering professional training to teachers so that they can improve in administering appropriate classroom atmosphere and they can easily lea...